Alton Towers 30th/31st July

[Matt N]

This isn't a trip report as such. It's more of a summary of the two days I spent on park for my 14th birthday in July. Overall I had a really nice time. Here are some of my main points I picked up on:

• The 3 B&M's have aged really well. Like, REALLY well. Nemesis felt smoother than it did when I rode it last April. Thirteen has also aged incredibly well considering it's an Intamin.
• The VR on Galactica wasn't working as well as it was last April. The ride host had to do a lot of tinkering before the headset would come on. Also, there was no audio which did ruin the immersion a bit. A real shame as I really enjoyed the VR when I did it last April. I actually think I might ride without when I next go to Towers. We only did the ride once due to the queue length.
• Smiler was just as insane as normal. I don't really enjoy rough rides, but I don't normally find the Smiler to be too bad other than when I rode in the back row. We also had a particularly intense ride on the Monday. On the Sunday, however, the ride had quite a long delay. On a positive note, the Smile Assistants were very nice and made conversation with us while we waited. During this delay, my dad spotted someone who he thought may have been an enthusiast because they knew what was happening and knew when the ride would be coming back up. Also, is Saw at Thorpe Park any rougher than Smiler because I could be going to Thorpe in September.
• I was really impressed with the refurbished Hex. My sister didn't come on with us because she thought that Hex was "a bit pointless". I enjoyed Hex in 2015, but 2017 Hex was so much better. The smells remind me a bit of the Kingmaker at Warwick Castle.
• The Rapids felt toned down from when we last rode, but I think this is probably due to the Drayton Manor incident. On a side note, the Runaway Mine Train is very intense for a coaster that only reaches 22mph, especially when ridden in the pouring rain!
• We ate in the Rollercoaster Restaurant and stayed in the Enchanted Village. Our stay at the Village was hampered slightly by the rain, but the Rollercoaster Restaurant was a brilliant and unique experience! The food was great and the restaurant is a wonderful tribute to coasters past and present.

P.S. I apologise if I'm convoluting the forum a bit. I'm just so excited because I've never joined a forum before!

 

[Towerslover]

I personally don't think that saw is as rough as the Smiler but I definitely prefer the Smiler! Sounds like a good trip to towers, have got to agree with you that thirteen has aged quite well so far - for an intamin anyways